1. Field of the Invention
A weatherstrip assembly for sealing between a frame and a closure member of a vehicle. In particular, the subject invention relates to a unique design of a locking fin and a shim for the assembly.
2. Description of Related Art
There is a desire within the transportation industry to easily couple a weatherstrip to a frame of a vehicle. Many techniques have been used to hold a weatherstrip to a frame during assembly. One solution in the industry involves a weatherstrip having a body defining a cavity into which the frame is disposed. A plurality of fingers extend from the body within the cavity. The frame has a thickness. The fingers abut the frame and provide a friction coupling between the body and the frame. The friction coupling mounts the weatherstrip to the frame. It is noteworthy though that not all frames have a continuous thickness. Often, converging sheet metal panels at unique positions on the vehicle create varying thicknesses longitudinally along the frame. As a result, the engagement of the fingers with the frame varies depending on the thickness of the frame. When engagement of the fingers with the frame is reduced, the friction coupling between the body and the frame is reduced, which could lead to disconnection of the weatherstrip assembly from the frame.
Therefore, there remains an opportunity to develop a weatherstrip capable of varying the friction force imparted on the frame depending on the thickness of the frame.